Methods for diagnosis and intervention of hepatic disorders

1. A method for assessment of hepatic function in a subject having, or suspected of having or developing, a hepatic disorder, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of blood or serum samples collected from the subject following oral administration of a dose of a first distinguishable compound (dose oral ) to the subject and intravenous co-administration of a dose of a second distinguishable compound (dose iv ) to the subject, wherein the samples have been collected over intervals of no more than seven time points spanning a time period consisting of no more than 180 minutes after administration;

(b) quantifying the concentration of the first and the second distinguishable compounds in each sample by a method comprising high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS);

(c) generating an individualized oral clearance curve from the concentration of the first distinguishable compound in each sample comprising using a computer algorithm curve fitting to a model oral distinguishable compound clearance curve and computing the area under the individualized oral clearance curve (AUCoral);

(d) generating an individualized intravenous clearance curve from the concentration of the second distinguishable compound in each sample by use of a computer algorithm curve fitting to a model intravenous distinguishable compound clearance curve and computing the area under the individualized intravenous clearance curve (AUCiv); and

(e) calculating the liver shunt fraction in the subject using the formula;

AUCoral/AUCiv×Doseiv/Doseoral×100%;

and

(f) comparing the liver shunt fraction in the subject to a distinguishable compound liver shunt fraction cutoff value, wherein the liver shunt fraction in the subject compared to the cutoff value is an indicator of the hepatic function of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second distinguishable compounds are compounds that are extracted from the portal blood in its first pass through the liver by at least about 60%, 80%, or 85% in healthy controls.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second distinguishable compounds are distinguishable bile acids or xenobiotics.

4. The method of claim 3 , Wherein the first and second distinguishable bile acids are distinguishable cholate compounds independently selected from the group consisting of distinguishable cholic acids, distinguishable glycine-conjugated cholic acids, distinguishable taurine-conjugated cholic acids, distinguishable chenodeoxycholic acids, distinguishable glycine-conjugated chenodeoxycholic acids, and distinguishable taurine-conjugated chenodeoxycholic acids.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second distinguishable bile acids are stable isotope labeled distinguishable cholate compounds.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the samples were collected from the subject over a period of about 90 minutes or less.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the samples were collected from the subject at about 5, 20, 45, 60, and 90 minutes post-dose.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing of the liver shunt fraction in the subject to the cutoff value is used to assess a need for at least one therapeutic treatment of the subject with a hepatic disorder when the shunt fraction is above the cutoff value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one therapeutic treatment is selected from the group consisting of antiviral therapy, interferon therapy, chemotherapeutic agents, endoscopic therapy, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement, hepatic resection, and liver transplantation.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hepatic disorder is selected from the group consisting of chronic hepatitis C, chronic hepatitis B, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), cirrhosis, splenomegaly, fibrosis stage, varices, liver transplant rejection, delayed function of liver transplant, recurrent disease in transplanted graft, liver injury, and prolonged infection.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional hepatic assessment test.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one additional hepatic assessment test is selected from the group consisting of clearance or metabolism of aminopyrine, clearance or metabolism of antipyrine, clearance or metabolism of bile acids other than cholate, clearance or metabolism of caffeine, clearance of or metabolism erythromycin, clearance or metabolism of nitroglycerin, clearance of or metabolism galactose, clearance or metabolism of indocyanine green, clearance or metabolism of lidocaine, clearance or metabolism of midazolam, clearance or metabolism of omeprazole, clearance or metabolism of dextromethorphan, clearance or metabolism of phenacetin, clearance or metabolism of methacetin, clearance or metabolism of methionine, ultrasonography, elastography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) elastography, liver-spleen scan, serum bilirubin analysis, alanine aminotransferase analysis, aspartate aminotransferase analysis, alkaline phosphatase analysis, prothrombin analysis, creatinine analysis, platelet count, blood count analysis, serum albumin and MELD (model for end-stage liver disease) score.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of comparing the liver shunt fraction in the subject to the shunt cutoff is used to assess an increased risk for future clinical outcome of at least one hepatic disorder in the subject when the shunt fraction is above the cutoff value.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cutoff value for shunt for defining a hepatitis C patient at greatest risk for future hepatic decompensation is liver shunt fraction ≥39%.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shunt cutoff value is derived from normal healthy controls, within a given individual over time, patients who respond to therapy, patients with large varices, patients with sustained virological response to antiviral therapy, patients unable to respond to antiviral therapy, patients with significant fibrosis, or patients with cirrhosis.